Visiting the Cuban home of her husband, Anthony, Gail learns about Anthony's divided loyalties between his Revolution-supporting family and dissident writer friends, one of whom has a son who is part of a plot to assassinate a Cuban general.
Barbara Parker was an American mystery writer. She wrote 12 novels, the first of which, Suspicion of Innocence, was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for best first mystery novel by an American author. Parker was on the national board of the Mystery Writers of America and was the chair of its membership committee for two years.
Librarian's note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Gail Connor and Anthony Quintana are back at it again. The volley back and forth about when they should get married wasn't plausible. She demonstrates a disturbing lack of faith in her husband and immaturely disregards his concern for her safety by refusing to pay attention to his warnings about things she has no experience with. There definitely was an assortment of odd characters and intrique.
Language wasn’t as eloquent as some 4 star books, but good plotting and super location of Cuba. This book, based on bicultural marriage between Cuban-American Anthony and Anglo-American Gail, took place on their honeymoon visit to his Cuban family in 2003. Lots of personal differences depicted against a backdrop of political differences, with a touch of CIA. They took teenagers from both previous marriages to visit family who were staunch Cuban politicos, but Anthony’s branch of the family having left to go to the US put them in a totally opposite place. Good story, great non-touristic view of Havana.
There were many parts of the book that I felt was intriguing but overall way too much. The author just had way too much chaos going on and very unbelievable. As I mentioned before, I enjoy the characters and for the most part, the stories but again, Just becoming way too much.
Wonderful political thriller about a Cuban-American criminal defense attorney who returns to his native Cuba to visit his aging father and his sister married to a general in the Cuban army.
This attorney is nonpolitical by nature, so he is quite the observer. His American wife, who is also on the trip, is having a hard time adjusting to Havana. Throw the Cuban National Security Police and the CIA into this mix and you have a compelling story.
I highly recommend this book.
The author adds a comment at the end about a trip she legally made to Cuba whereby she brought a box of books to a journalist who ran a homebased free lending library. That journalist was later arrested, his library closed, books confiscated, and he was given 25 years in prison. I guess this was a book she had to write.
I thought this book was very good. I thought it was going to be a murder mystery set in Cuba. It is actually the story of Cuba set in a fictional story. It is about the people, their patriotism and passions, their betrayals and losses, what the revolution meant in Cuba and how it has played out over the 50 years since it occurred, both in Cuba and Miami. She gives factual information and succeeded in making me care about Cuba.
This is my last Barbara Parker novel in the Gail Conner?Anthony Quintana series. I was sad to learn that Barbara Parker passed away earlier this year...so reading this book is a little sad. I am a little behind in updating my status...but this was a very good book....just wish there was another one to follow.
This is the most recent book of the series. Parker's books are usually set in Miami, but this one is set in Havana Cuba where she goes with her new husband to meet his sister and her family. They get involved in plot. I learned a lot about modern day Cuba and the politics there. I enjoyed this book
This is a mystery that I felt was well-written and which kept me glued to the page throughout. I also appreciated the insight into Cuban families both in Cuba and in Florida and the political situation in Cuba.
haven't read one of this series in a while and found this was very good...set in cuba . good information and good mystery. but sad to know that barbara parker has passed on in 2009. god speed to a good writer
This was not my favorite in the series. While I like reading about Anthony's Cuban heritage, I was just not interested in the plot of this book. I was only okay.
Although it was better written than the other book I'd read by her, I enjoyed it less. Very dark tone, high intensity level. Definitely no cozy mystery =P